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The EU is drawing up new rules to tackle addictive social media design

The EU is drawing up new rules to tackle addictive social media design

12 May 2026, 20:00

The EU is drawing up new rules to tackle addictive social media design — TikTok, Meta and X

The European Union is stepping up pressure on social media platforms over the risks they pose to children and teenagers. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that Brussels is working on new rules designed to restrict the ‘addictive’ design of these platforms. The platforms in question are TikTok, Meta and X.

This is according to Reuters.

The new restrictions are being prepared as part of the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act (DFA), which is due to be presented at the end of the year. It will supplement the existing Digital Services Act.

Key ideas:

to restrict ‘addictive’ features — the endless scroll, autoplay, and push notifications;
to establish stricter rules on the use of artificial intelligence;
consider introducing a minimum age for accessing social media;
to force platforms to verify users’ ages more effectively.

Von der Leyen directly linked the problems faced by teenagers to the platforms’ business models: “This is no coincidence — it is the result of models that turn children’s attention into a commodity.”

Von der Leyen noted that the question is no longer whether children have access to social media, but whether social media should have access to children.

The European Commission is already investigating major platforms under existing legislation:

TikTok — for its addictive design;
against Meta — due to weak enforcement of age restrictions (13+) on Facebook and Instagram;
against X – due to the use of AI (in particular Grok) to create unacceptable content.

The new law could significantly expand these powers and make regulation even stricter.

The first concrete proposals on age restrictions could emerge as early as this summer, writes Reuters, with a full-fledged draft bill expected towards the end of 2026.

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